Sunday, April 17, 2011

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0230Z April 18, 2011


Southwestern Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico/Southeast/South Central to Central
US:
A large mass of what is believed to be primarily thin density smoke was
visible extending from the southwestern Atlantic westward across Florida
and over nearly all of the Gulf of Mexico. The smoke then extended inland
over northern Mexico as well as the South Central and Central US. Embedded
within this large area of thin smoke were patches of moderately dense
to dense smoke associated with active fires. The most significant smoke
plumes were analyzed with large fires in southeastern Texas as well as
north central, central, and southwestern Texas. Smoke from the huge fire
affecting Palo Pinto, Stephens, and Young counties of north central Texas
fanned out as it spread northward and covered a good portion of north
central Texas, and central and eastern Oklahoma. Smoke from the fire in
Hardin and Tyler counties of southeastern Texas reached as far north
as southeastern Oklahoma and southwestern Arkansas. Other significant
smoke plumes were associated with a large fire in east central New
Mexico and the ongoing huge fires in northern Mexico, just south of the
Texas border. Fires were also scattered across Oklahoma and particularly
eastern Kansas although cloudiness in this region interfered with smoke
detection in satellite imagery. In addition to the fires mentioned above,
the continuing seasonal fires burning farther to the south in Mexico
and Central America also contributed to the smoke especially over the
Gulf of Mexico and the coastal areas of Texas and Louisiana.

Southwestern US:
Gusty southwesterly winds kicked up patches of blowing dust from sources
in northwestern Mexico and southwestern and south central Arizona. Just
prior to sunset, the leading edge of the blowing dust was located
approximately 40 miles south of Phoenix and 25 miles west of Tuscon.

JS


THE FORMAT OF THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS BEING MODIFIED. IT WILL NO LONGER
DESCRIBE THE VARIOUS PLUMES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVE FIRES. THESE
PLUMES ARE DEPICTED IN VARIOUS GRAPHIC FORMATS ON OUR WEB SITE:

JPEG:   http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/ml/land/hms.html
GIS:    http://www.firedetect.noaa.gov/viewer.htm
KML:    http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/kml.html

THIS TEXT PRODUCT WILL CONTINUE TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF SMOKE
WHICH HAVE BECOME DETACHED FROM AND DRIFTED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE
SOURCE FIRE, TYPICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF ONE OR MORE DAYS. IT WILL ALSO
STILL INCLUDE DESCRIPTIONS OF BLOWING DUST.

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THESE CHANGES OR THE SMOKE TEXT
PRODUCT IN GENERAL SHOULD BE SENT TO SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov

 


Unless otherwise indicated:
  • Areas of smoke are analyzed using GOES-EAST and GOES-WEST Visible satellite imagery.
  • Only a general description of areas of smoke or significant smoke plumes will be analyzed.
  • A quantitative assessment of the density/amount of particulate or the vertical distribution is not included.
  • Widespread cloudiness may prevent the detection of smoke even from significant fires.